Microsoft drops the Surface Pro price by $100

Following the recent decision to cut the price on its struggling Surface RT, Microsoft has just dropped the price on its flagship Surface Pro model by $100 through August 29, according to The Verge. The 64GB model now costs $799, while the 128GB is now $899. Microsoft told the website that the slashed prices are for the U.S. market, as well as Canada, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The price cut is not only timed for the busy back-to-school shopping season, but also could mean Microsoft is trying to move inventory in anticipation of new Surface models. These rumored new Surface Pro tablets could use Intel’s latest Haswell processors to provide faster performance and improved battery life.

By later this fall, Haswell chips will be found in a number of devices, including a variety of Windows 8 tablets. To keep pace, it’s likely that Microsoft will refresh the Surface Pro sooner rather than later. In the meantime, it remains to be seen if the Surface Pro’s new price will drive sales.